The Knot That Ties Them Together
by Pey119
Summary: He was starting his freshman year. He couldn't be dying, could he? Solangelo, human AU
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

The pains started when he was eleven, a year after he lost his sister, and two years after he lost his mother. Nico kept it to himself, however, because he knew that his sister and mother had had the same pain in their stomachs before they died. He didn't want to die.

He had been too young to understand at that point, and thought that if he ignored it for long enough, it would go away. And he really believed that. So, he kept it a secret, even after his half sister came to live with them. It wasn't even that bad at first. It only hurt when he ate, and that could be controlled. Besides, he needed to focus on his school work. He was going to go to high school, soon, after all.

When he was thirteen, it got worse. The only food he could eat was chicken broth, and the only thing he could drink was a pink herbal juice he had found at the store. For some reason, it had spiked his curiosity, and it looked familiar. It was good, and it didn't bother his stomach, so that was all that he drank. He didn't mind, really, especially because those were the two things that got him through eighth grade, and graduation. He was okay for the moment.

Too bad his luck always ran out.

It was the summer before freshman year, and his father was getting married to a woman named Persephone, who was nice, but seemed too motherly for Nico. He didn't like the idea of her replacing his mother. It just wasn't right.

"Nico, you coming?" Hazel knocked on his bedroom door. "We're helping them plan today, remember?"

Nico cursed in between labored breaths, trying to get his breathing under control. He was curled up on his bed, his arms wrapped tightly around his torso. The pain was almost unbearable, but he knew if he told his father, he would be taken to the hospital, and he would probably never come out. He had seen it happen twice to the two people he loved.

"Nico?" Hazel pounded harder. "Should I come in? Are you alright?"

"I-I'm-" Nico stopped, tensing up even more as another wave of pain rocketed through his body. Every instinct in him told him that he was dying, but he ignored them, instead focusing on making it stop. He just needed it to stop.

Hazel opened the door, closing it behind her. As soon as she saw Nico, however, she ran to his bedside, dropping down to her knees.

"Nico, what's wrong? Do you want me to get dad?!" Hazel asked, concern written all over her face.

"No!" Nico choked out. "It'll go away. Just don't get him."

"Nico, is it your stomach?" Hazel went to move his arms away, but he refused to let her. "I'm just trying to help you."

"Hazel, did dad ever tell you about Bianca and my mom?" Nico asked, a random question in Hazel's view.

"Well, yeah," Hazel answered. "The doctors never found out what they had, but it was always this horrible pain in their….Nico, what are you saying…? It could just be a stomachache! You don't know that it's -"

"Stomachaches don't last for three years!" Nico answered, his grip on his stomach lessoning as the pain died away, little by little.

"Oh, Nico…." Hazel looked at him sadly. "Why didn't you tell somebody?"

"And have them take me to the hospital? I'm not stupid, Hazel. They would just keep me there and run tests for the rest of my life." Nico answered. He sat up slowly, reluctant for it to come back. "It's better for right now, Hazel. Come on, dad will worry."

"Nico, you're laying back down." Hazel said sternly, standing up to look at him. "You looked like you were in labor. There's no way I'm letting you go like that."

Nico laid back down on his bed in defeat. "Just don't tell dad, alright?"

"Alright." Hazel agreed. "And, a tip for stomach pains. A hot bath helps."

And then she was gone.

Nico sighed, too exhausted from the pain to even worry about his sister knowing. Quickly, he fell asleep, spread out on his bed. Hazel let him sleep through lunch, and then dinner. At about four in the morning, however, he awoke to the same unbearable pains. He took her advice and crawled to his bathroom, difficultly turning on the hot water. When he managed to get in the tub, the hot water helped enough to allow him to think, but not enough. The pain still shot through his body, causing him to tense up so bad his legs would be sore the next day. Each time this happened, it seemed to last longer.

What was happening to him?


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1- Bloody Blankets**_

By the time the wedding rolled around, Nico had lost twenty pounds and only weighed around eighty. If he could eat, he would, but those pains that came with it…it was much better to just not eat. Hunger pains were so much more bearable.

He has still not told his dad and intended to keep it that way. Hazel, true to her word, hadn't told anybody, but helped him when he needed it. If he was at all religious, he would thank God for her every day. Even though she was only his half-sister, she was much as a sister as Bianca was.

Bianca.

She had gone through the same pain he had. For the first time in his life, he finally realized why she never wanted to play with him. It wasn't because his games were lame, or that she didn't like him. It was because of the pain. And the same went for his mother.

Knowing that he wasn't alone, that others had gone through it, too, comforted him a little; but then he remembered what happened to the ones that shared his pain. Both of them had died.

That idea scared him the most.

Nico put on his suit, looking mournfully at himself in the mirror. He really, really didn't want to ruin his dad's wedding. But, he was his best man, and if the pains started in the middle of the ceremony….his luck couldn't be that bad, right?

"Nico, are you ready?" Hazel knocked on his door, causing his to jump out of his thoughts. Even before he saw his sister, he could tell she was clad in her best jewelry, since he heard in jingling.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Nico opened the door and exited his room, following her until they reached the living room, where his father was waiting.

"Come on, come on." he ushered them out of the door. "We're going to be late."

Nico had been convinced he was doing fine, he hadn't even eaten that day. In his mind, he should have been pain free until he put something in his stomach. That was, in fact, how it had been working. Until, unfortunately, that day.

Hazel and him had been waiting in the back of the church for directions on where to go when the first wave of pain hit him. Uncontrollably, he dubbed over, the pain totally hitting him by surprise.

"Nico, oh my god, not now." Hazel rushed to his side, trying to keep him up. "Nico, please tell me you're kidding."

"I wish." Nico grounded out, clenching at his stomach uselessly.

"Kids, time to go." Hades called, walking up to them. When he saw Nico, however, he rushed over worriedly. "What happened?"

"Nothing, dad." Nico answered hurriedly. "I'm fi-oh, god!"

Nico's vision turned red, the worst pain he had ever gotten so far raging through his body. He could feel himself fall to his knees, but he couldn't really process it. Pain….pain…pain…

The next thing he knew, he blacked out.

—

When he woke up in that hospital room, his first thought was of how screwed he was. His dad knew. His step mom knew….and he ruined their wedding. Could his life get any worse?

Unfortunately, yes, it could.

Nico looked around the empty room, scowling at the white walls and the large window to his left. On the wall in front of him, a TV hung but was off, the remote sitting on top.

"Well, that's helpful." Nico glared at the remote, stuck with not wanting to get up but wanting to watch TV. Eventually, his laziness won, especially when he noticed the IV's in his arms.

Bored out of his mind, Nico played with the blanket covering him, its fabric soft against his fingertips. It made him smile, remembering the blanket his mother had made him once. That blanket, however, had been ruined when Bianca had fist started coughing up blood. He hadn't gotten to that faze, yet, but he knew it was coming eventually. It was only a matter of time.

After what seemed like hours, Hazel walked in with a coffee in her hand, her wedding dress still on. When she saw that he was awake, she visible sighed in relief.

"How are you doing?" she asked, coming over to his bedside. "The doctor said you passed out from the pain."

"I'm fine." Nico grabbed her hand in his. "Is dad mad? Is that why he's not here? I didn't mean to ruin his wedding, I swear."

"Nico, dad is not mad at you." Hazel looked at him as if he was crazy. "He's worried. He's been through this twice before, remember? He's scared for you."

"Is he mad that I didn't tell him?" Nico asked.

Hazel smiled sadly at him. "Yeah, but he'll get over it, don't worry."

Nico sighed heavily, laying back in the bed. There was too much happening at once, too much to take in. His father wasn't mad at him…

"Where is he, then?" Nico asked. "If he's not mad, then why isn't he here?"

"He's talking to the doctor." Hazel explained, taking a drink from her cup. "They're trying to figure out what's wrong."

"They tried with mom and Bianca." Nico replied. "What's makes them think they're going to find anything in me?"

Hazel shrugged. "At least they're still trying. They could have easily given up and discharged you with pain meds."

"Yeah, I guess." he still didn't look convinced. "Hey, what happened with the wedding anyway? Is Persephone mad at me?"

"Persephone is not mad at you. Just like dad, she's worried." Hazel stood up. "I'm going to go see how they're doing. You should get some sleep."

Hazel left quickly, leaving the still steaming cup beside him. Quickly, Nico snatched it, having always loved coffee. As soon as it was in his mouth, however, he spit it out, the taste overwhelming. Looking at what he spit all over him, he saw why he had tasted that one taste. On his blanket in front of him, more blood then coffee was mixed with his saliva.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Diagnosed

Just like Nico expected, he was sent home, no doctor able to figure out what was wrong. The only thing that kept him from thinking that he was insane was that both his mother and his sister had it. The doctor told him the only thing he could do was try to live his life as normally as possible. But that was one of the hardest things, especially since he couldn't stand when people asked him why he wasn't eating. He refrained from going outside altogether, staying in his room.

Late night baths to get rid of the pain became a horribly common occurrence. Most nights, they didn't even help. A week before school started, Nico realized fully for the first time that he was probably dying. And death terrified him.

He was only thirteen years old.

But the thing was, he wasn't even really living anymore. He could barely do anything without some kind of pain in his stomach, and when he talked, he usual coughed up blood. Bed-bound, he did basically nothing, wasting the days he had left. His family tried to cheer him up, tried to get him to do things, but they knew as well what any excise would lead to. The biggest worry, however, was what they were going to do when school came around.

They hadn't told anybody yet about what was happening, especially after what happened to Bianca and his mother. So, if the pain started in school, of if he started to cough up blood…what would they say?

Others' opinions mattered the most to Nico. He didn't want them to see him as sick, but he also didn't want them to see him as a drop out. The only thing they could do was try to diagnose the problem as soon as possible.

They went to the hospital for tests every day. Hades was rich, so money was really an issue. But nobody should get that used to a hospital, especially if you don't work there.

Like usual, they got absolutely nowhere.

And then it was time for school.

—

Nico's Guide To Survive School Without Them Finding Out:

Don't eat anything.

And that was exactly what he did. He refused to eat until the weekends, where he could have the pains at home. His doctor said that this wasn't good for his health, but he honestly didn't care. Who would in his situation? But his doctor was right.

His weight lowered, from eighty to sixty. He became deathly thin, his bones poking out of his skin. He really looked like he was dying now. And eventually, he accepted it. He accepted death and all it had to offer.

Until the day they finally diagnosed him, a month before the school year.

It was early August, the air just turning chilly. The doctor suggested exploratory surgery, to see if they could see anything the scans weren't catching. Immediately, Hades gave them permission, wanting to know what was wrong with his son. Nico, on the other hand, hated the idea of his stomach being cut open. It already hurt enough as it was, in one piece. He knew the surgery would only cause more pain.

But when he started coughing up blood so bad he passed out from lack of it, he finally agreed.

Hazel thought it would be best, too, because she missed her brother. Ever since she found out about the pains, he had acted moody and depressed, unlike the brother she used to know. She missed him.

And so, the surgery was done.

And that was when they found his first tumor.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-

"Cancer?" Nico asked, looking at him disbelievingly. "You mean you actually found something?"

"This isn't something to be happy about." Hades chided, though even he looked relived that they found something. "This type of cancer…the doctor said it's going to be hard to fight against."

"Yeah, but at least they know how to treat it!" Nico cried out, even though they were the only two in the hospital room. "Dad, I might actually have a life now!"

"Nico, you don't understand." Hades became angry, causing Nico to lose his smile.

"Then help me understand." Nico pleaded. "What is so bad about this?"

"It's cancer!" Hades answered. "Do you not realize that? He said you have about six months."

Nico was silent as he stared at his dad. He couldn't still be dying, could he? They had figured it out! They could…they could…they could what?

There was no cure for cancer.

"They have ways to stop the pain, and they're going to keep track, just incase another tumor forms." Hades explained. "But…it's a really bad cancer, Nico. One they've barely seen before."

"If they stop the pain, can I play a sport, like basketball? Remember when we used to play in the backyard? It was really fun." Nico asked. "Besides, if I'm going to die in six months, I want to have fun if it will be painless."

"Sure, Nico." Hades waved away the question. "But you really shouldn't be worrying about sports now."

"I'm fine!" Nico spread his arms out and stood up, turning in a circle before sitting down. As soon as he did sit back down, however, he coughed up some more blood.

"I told you." Hades wiped his mouth off with a rag. "You need to be more careful."

"It's my life…" Nico said quietly, but didn't argue. He was in no position to.

Just then, Hazel and Persephone entered the room, carrying boxes of left over food from their lunch. Hazel smiled when she saw him but ran to his side when she saw the blood on his blankets.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." Nico laughed it off, even though he felt like throwing up. "How was your lunch?"

"It was fine." Hazel talked with her hands, explaining everything that happened while Hades talked quietly to Persephone.

"Do you know when you're getting out of here?" Hazel asked him after she finished her story.

Nico shrugged. "No idea."

"Dad, do you know?" Hazel asked.

"Know what?" Hades looked away from his conversation.

"When Nico's getting out of here." Hazel explained, sitting down on the bed next to her brother.

"I'll have to ask the doctor." Hades answered. "But it shouldn't be too long."

"Good," Hazel sighed in relief. "Because school's starting soon and we're starting high school."

"I know." Hades smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. They hadn't told Hazel yet about the cancer and intended to keep it that way. "Why don't you and Persephone go home for the night and I'll stay here with Nico?"

Persephone nodded, having been told what happened by Hades. "Yeah, you're father's right. We could go shopping and get you new clothes for school."

"Yes!" Hazel squealed, clapping her hands together. Nico smiled, envying her happiness. She was so innocent, the exact opposite of him.

They left, leaving Nico and Hades alone.

"You are staying the night, Nico." Hades said. "They need to keep you for observation."

Nico nodded. "When are you going to tell her?"

"Not until I have to." Hades replied. "You know how she worries."

"Yeah, but she'll be mad if she finds out we've been lying to her." Nico replied.

"She'll be fine." Hades waved the discussion away. "Like I said before, we should be worried about you, remember?"


	5. Pain and Butterflies

Chapter 4- Pain and Butterflies

School started, and so far, the painkillers were doing okay. They didn't help all the way, but Nico knew he couldn't complain. They were better than nothing.

He had had two more tumors since the first one, but they had gotten both out successfully. Not wanting to worry Hazel, they had just told her that they were doing more exploratory surgery.

She believed them.

The education part of school wasn't that bad, but having been in a hospital bed for so much made him not used to walking around. His school was four floors and never seemed to end. Not to mention how many times he got lost looking for his classroom.

In science class, there was a boy whom he didn't know the name of, but kept trying to make friends with him. Nico always declined, making an excuse to get away. Not that he didn't want a friend, but he didn't want to hurt him when he died.

The boy had blond hair and blue eyes, which always distracted Nico throughout class. He was tall and lean, built like a basketball player. But as had told the entire class multiple times, however, he was set on being a doctor.

Nico envied his confidence and his ability to live past freshman year.

As each day went by, Nico didn't know how much more he could take, lying to Hazel like he was. He felt bad, he really did, but as his father said, it was for the best. It was better to have her happy now than worrying about him even more than she already did.

Just like he used to, he barely ate, but what he had was more bearable now without as much pain. After school, however, he was always so worn out that he went right to sleep. He need he would get more used to it soon, but for now, he was tired all of the time. He hoped it wasn't from his cancer. But after everything that had happened, he wouldn't be surprised.

At the end of September, he finally figured out what the blond haired boy's name was.

William Solace.

They had been in class when they were taking attendance, and for the first time, Nico paid attention. Nico loved knowing the boy's name and then hated himself for feeling that way.

Why was that outgoing, happy boy making him feel like he was?

Nico was the exact opposite of Will, being Death and all it had to offer. Nico was the moon at night, blissful and alive in the darkness. Will, however, was like the shinning sun. He could make the most out of anything and thought the world was beautiful. These differences made Nico want to hate him, and he really tried to, but he couldn't. For some reason, the boy was all he seemed to think about.

When the pain wasn't in his stomach, butterflies were.

Nico thought daily of excepting Will's friend requests, but then remembered that he was dying. He couldn't hurt Will like that, not at all.

But why did he care so much?

So he kept his distance, only watching as Will worked or walked down the hall. All throughout September it was like this, until they were assigned a project in October.

"Nico di Angelo, I guess we're partners, huh?" Will asked after having skipped to his desk. "How about we go to my house after school? You can stay for dinner."

Nico wrinkled his nose at Will's eagerness and was about to say no but couldn't. The way his blue eyes gleamed with happiness, the joy in his voice…Nico couldn't let him down.

"Okay, sure." what was he doing? Why did he care so much about William Solace, the doctor-to-be?

"Awesome!" Will pulled out a paper and stuck it on Nico's desk. "Here, write down you're phone number. I'll text you my address."

Nico didn't understand how someone could be so happy, but wrote his number down anyways. They way Will made him feel…maybe he could be that happy.

What was he thinking? He was dying. He was never going to be that happy, and he couldn't be friends with this boy.

"I might not be able to stay for dinner, however." Nico said quietly. He couldn't get close to him. "My father won't want me out that late."

"Oh, okay." Will deflated a little, but perked up immediately, snatching the paper away. "I'll see you then, bye!"

And then he was gone, running from the classroom with the extra energy he always seemed to possess.

Nico, on the other hand, stood up slowly and gathered h is books. Quickly, he was the only one left in the room.

"How are you doing?" Mr. Blofis, his science teacher, asked. All of his teachers knew about his disease, just incase something were to happen.

"Alright." Nico answered, shrugging slowly. Why was he so out of energy all of a sudden?

"I hope Will is alright for a partner?" Mr. Blofis asked. "He may be little too happy for you."

Nico smiled softly at him. "It's fine, Mr. Blofis. Thank you for your concern."

Nico went to his next class, zoning out when he got there. The only thing he could think about was the brilliant blond haired boy who seemed to steal Nico's attention form the beginning.


	6. Chapter 5

By the time school was over, Nico was so nervous to go over to Will's that he had thrown up, twice. The only thing that actually scared him, however, was if he was forced to tell him about his cancer. What would Will think of him, then?

Nico hated to be seen as weak, as sick. The way the doctors and nurses looked at him…he hated it. Nico didn't know if he could take Will looking at him like that.

But why did he care so much about Will? He really had to get him out of his head.

"Hey, can you drop me off at this boy's house?" Nico asked when he got in the car. "We have to do a project together."

Hades nodded. "You have his address?"

Nico nodded before reading the address off to him.

Hades sighed in relief. "That's not very far. Are you sure you'll be alright, though?"

"Yeah," Nico answered as his father started the car, pulling out of the school. "I'll be fine."

Hades looked like he didn't believe him. "Just keep your phone on."

"Yes, sir." Nico said jokingly, but he knew his father just cared about him.

When he got there, he walked up the large house slowly, nervous beyond belief. When he finally got to the door, he knocked softly, thinking maybe Will wouldn't hear him. His wished went unnoticed and Will opened the door excitedly, pulling Nico into the house like they were best friends.

"Okay, so the presentation is on Darwin and his theories." Will chatted as he let Nico to his room, dropping on his bed and pulling out a yellow laptop. When Nico looked around the room, he saw that everything else was either yellow or blue.

"You can sit." Will patted the seat next to him before going on to talk again. "We can talk about the adaptations on the Galapagos Islands and-"

Nico sat on the bed next to him stiffly, not used to being around new people, especially because he didn't know him. Nico tried to listen, but his mind was going in overdrive. What if he coughed up blood? He was sitting next to Will Solace. What if he started to hurt? Will was smiling at him.

"Nico, are you listening?" Will asked, looking at him.

"Wha-oh, yeah, of course." Nico said quickly. "I'm listening."

Will smiled at him. "Okay, anyways, should we do a poster or a speech?"

"Poster." Nico said immediately.

"Deal," Will got out paper from his desk. "Why don't we sketch the outline now, and get the poster later?"

Nico agreed and sat on the floor next to him, grabbing a pencil and helping him with the design. All seemed to be going well and Nico started to relax when Will's mom came in the room.

"What a snack boys?" she asked cheerfully.

"Oh, no thanks." Nico said quickly, causing Will to look at him in confusion. "I have to go soon anyways. My dad wants me home."

"Oh, well okay." Mrs. Solace replied. "Do you want a ride home?"

"No thanks, I'll walk." Nico started to pack up his things, freaking out. He couldn't let them know. He couldn't let them know.

"I'll see you a school?" Will asked, still seated on the floor.

"Yeah, sure." Nico replied before leaving the room and running down the steps, getting out the door quickly. He ran for two blocks until he was sure they couldn't see him, before sitting down on a bench and sighing in relief. He was okay, he was going to be okay.

But the little voice in the back of his brain reminded him that he wasn't going to be okay. He was dying.

Taking his phone from his pocket, Nico called his dad and told him where he was, asking for a ride. Once he hung up, he leaned back on the bench and closed his eyes. It wouldn't be long before he could go home and sleep the night away.

A child's laughter caused him to open his eyes and look up, seeing that a little girl was climbing a tree not far away. Her mother stood underneath, prepared to catch her if she fell. Nico smiled at the picture they painted but then stopped himself, more morbid thoughts coming to his brain.

He was falling, and his mother wasn't there to catch him.

When he got home that night, he cried himself to sleep over the lose of his mother for the first time in years. Their perfect family had been broken and ruined, and would never be put back together.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6-

"Why did you run out like that?" Will asked as soon as Nico stepped into the science room.

"What do you mean?" Nico asked innocently.

"You know what I mean." Will answered. "I'm not stupid. As soon as my mom came in, you ran away like a tornado was going to touch down."

"Why would you use a tornado as a metaphor?" Nico asked, changing the subject. "Are you from the South or something? Because we don't get a lot of tornadoes here."

"You know what I mean!" Will exclaimed. "Why were you so scared? You looked that way when you came in."

"I don't know." Nico shrugged, internally freaking out. "I'm just shy, that's all."

Will didn't look convinced, but knew Nico wouldn't tell him. "So, when do you want to work on it again?"

"Maybe in a couple of days?" Nico asked uncertainly. "But at my house this time."

Will brightened up immediately. "Sweet! Just let me know the exact date!"

He then left Nico alone, going back to his seat so class could start. Nico's emotions turned inside him like a storm, happy and depressed and angry and sad. Part of him was excited about Will coming over while part of him dreaded it.

At lunch that day, he sat alone at his usual table, reading one of his books. The least thing he expected to happen was that Will sat right next to him, plopping his tray on the table as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"What are you doing?" Nico asked, immediately annoyed. "Why don't you go sit with your friends?"

"You are my friend." Will explained. "And you look really lonely, so I'm sitting with you today."

"Your friends miss you." Nico directed his attention to Will's usual table, where six other teenagers sat. They all sat and stared at the two boys, whispering amongst themselves.

Will waved his worries away. "They'll be fine. You know, Nico, you should really eat something. It's not healthy to go without food like you do."

"I'm fine, Will. I had a big breakfast." Nico lied. "I'm not hungry."

"You never eat at lunch time." Will replied. "You don't have that big of a breakfast every day. Not to mention how skinny you are."

"Just mind your own business, Solace." Nico shot back. He couldn't let him know. Couldn't let him know.

"Nico, are you….you know…." Will asked, suddenly very shy. "Are you…."

"I'm not anorexic, Will!" Nico stood up and walked away, getting away from the situation. Once he left the cafeteria, he thought that that episode would make Will think he was even more.

Nico stepped out of the school's back exit, sitting down on the step quietly. A girl was sitting next to him, smoking. She didn't say anything but handed him a cigarette, seeing how frustrated he was.

Nico handled the cigarette carefully, knowing how dangerous they were. But…he was already dying. Besides, it would calm him down.

"You have a light?" Nico asked her.

The girl nodded, pulling out a lighter and handing it to him. He took it gratefully, lighting his cigarette and handing it back. The first inhale of it made him choke, but he quickly adapted to the smoke and relaxed.

"Your first time smoking?" the girl asked him. "You sure needed it."

"Will Solace is sticking his nose where it shouldn't be." Nico explained.

"The doctor to be?" she asked. "My name's Thalia by the way. He's one of my brother's friends."

"And he assumes I'm his friend." Nico added. "He's very outgoing."

"A little too happy for me." Thalia agreed. "But he's a nice kid when you get to know him."

"A little too nice." Nico stated. Thalia grabbed another cigarette for herself and lit it, putting it in her mouth.

"You're a chain smoker?" Nico asked her. "You know that's not good for your health."

"Now you sound like Will Solace." Thalia smirked. "Who are you to judge me? How much do you weigh? Forty pounds?"

"That's none of your business." Nico replied. He threw the butt of his cigarette on the ground and stomped on it. "Anyways, I'm going to go back in. Class will be starting."

"I ain't stopping you." Thalia said. "Go ahead."

Nico nodded before walking up to the doors. Right before he opened them, he turned around again to face her. "And Thalia….thanks."

"No problem," she answered. "I'm here every lunch period if you need another one."

Nico nodded before gong back inside. He only had a couple more classes until he went home, but he was feeling okay now. The cigarette really calmed him down, and when he ate when he got home, his stomach didn't even hurt that bad.

Nico went out that night and bought himself two packs.


	8. Chapter 7

_**AN: Happy New Year! Good luck for the next year and stay safe.**_

Chapter 7-

Basketball season came around, and Nico tried out immediately, loving the game with the rawness it brought. He had tried out for point guard, and before he left, the coach told him he had a really good chance of getting on the team. But Nico couldn't help but wonder if that was just because he was dying. Either way, he wouldn't know for a couple of weeks.

Will came over to his house after the tryouts, having tried out himself. Together they worked in his room on their project, finally finishing not too long after. Will than left, and the whole visit wasn't too awkward for Nico. Will hadn't mentioned anything about what happened at lunch, and seemed to leave the topic alone. But this made Nico's mind race, thinking if somebody had told Will. Would they have?

The more Nico got used to moving around, the better he seemed to feel. He knew he was still dying, and his father kept reminding him of that, but he felt amazing, better than he had in years. Yes, the pains still came at night, and he still coughed up blood sometimes, but he had more energy. He didn't feel like he was dying anymore, and that was more than he could ask for.

He could feel himself become happier, answering more questions in class and participating more. He cut his hair to a reasonable length and took more care of himself. He dressed better and less sloppier. He still smoked though, but that was alright.

His stomach cancer would kill him faster than his lungs if they were to crap out.

Nico also found a new joy in drinking water, especially since it kept him full and didn't hurt his stomach. He found himself drinking bottles and bottles of it everyday, but it was healthy for you. He didn't mind, and nobody else did.

Nico could also feel himself getting noticed more. More kids said high to him in the hallways, and they offered him a spot at their table. He always was polite to them and took their offerings, but he never really became friends with them. He was sort of acquaintances with all of them, over anything.

He wasn't complaining. He just didn't want to get close to them.

"You seem happier." Hazel commented after school one day. "Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

"Ha ha, very funny." he smiled at her. "I'm still me, Haz. Nothing's wrong."

Hazel got her knowing look, like there was something wrong. Carefully, making sure nobody could hear, she went to whisper in his ear.

"I can smell the smoke on you." she whispered. "You aren't going to be able to hide it much longer."

She then shrank back from his, brightening up. "Want to watch a movie?"

"If you don't mind, I'm going to go to my room." Nico excused himself, running up the stairs two at a time. The one person he didn't want to find out about him smoking was Hazel. How had she known?

How would his dad handle it if he were to find out?

Nico ran to his bathroom, throwing up from sheer anxiety. His dad would hate him if he found out. He couldn't let him know, couldn't let him know….

Nico wiped the vomit off of his mouth with toilet paper and flushed the toilet, sitting quietly on the cold floor. It was too late to quite smoking now, but the hospital was sure to find out…he was so stupid to try it in the first place. Why had he let Thalia Grace give him that cigarette? In the end, it wouldn't help him one bit.

The sad thing was, sitting with worry on that bathroom floor, all he could think about was how another one would calm him down.

So he opened the window and pulled the box out.

—

"Nico, why does your room smell like smoke?" his father commented later that night, bringing him his medicine.

"I had the window open." Nico lied. "A woman was smoking outside, and it kind of all just came in."

"Next time, close the window." Hades sighed. "That's how people get cancer from secondhand smoke."

"I already got cancer." Nico pointed out. "It can't hurt me."

"Just because you have stomach cancer doesn't mean you can't get throat and lung cancer." Hades chided. "Those two cancers will make you feel even worse than you do. Just go to bed. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Nico replied, waiting until his father closed his door before pushing the blankets off him and standing up out of bed. He needed to move, to get his energy out. It had just been a close call, and his heart was thumping wildly in his chest. But what his father had said gave him an idea. If the hospital was able to tell that he was smoking, couldn't he just blame it on secondhand smoke?

Thinking the plan was bulletproof, undeniably so, Nico went to bed that night without any worry. But when he awoke in the morning, he barely had time to run to the bathroom before he coughed up another pool of blood. The coughing hurt his lungs now, worse than ever, and that scared him. Was he really hurting his lungs, too?

His body was falling apart.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8-

"I made the team! I made the team!" Nico screamed as he burst through the doors, throwing his book bag on the floor. "Dad, I made the team!"

His father beamed at him, happy that his son was happy. "I told you you could do it."

"Practices are Monday through Thursday, every week." Nico called as he ran up the stairs to his room. Getting out his laptop, he Googled and watched everything he could find about basketball, learning plays and different ways to shoot the ball. He knew he had always been good at the sport, but he never dreamed he would be good enough for the high school team.

Then the thought that they might have chosen him because he was dying weighed down on him again.

Sighing, Nico laid back on his bed, all the excitement drained out of him. What if he was terrible and ruined the game each time? Would he be bullied for that or just kicked off the team? Or both? Who's to say they didn't make a mistake and had told him wrong?

Thinking about it, Nico couldn't find one reason why he was on that team.

"I am so freaking stupid." Nico mumbled to himself. "Why would they ever want me?"

He could feel the nausea start to bubble within his stomach, acid crawling its way up his throat. He barely had enough time to run to the toilet before puking into it, repeatedly until his throat was raw. Emotions were bubbling in him, and he didn't know how much more he could take.

Tightly closing his eyes, Nico propped his head up with his arms, trying to forget the world. Everything around him seemed to be falling apart, and once again, he began to lose hope.

"Nico, are you alright?" Hazel asked, standing in the doorway. "Do you need some water?"

"No, I'm fine." Nico answered sarcastically. "I'm just dandy."

Hazel frowned. "Nico, why are you being like that? Aren't you glad you got on the team?"

"They only let me on because I'm dying!" Nico yelled at her, losing the little control he had left of his emotions. "You have cancer, you're on the team! So don't tell me otherwise!"

"Cancer….?" Hazel asked quietly, cringing from his yells. "What do you mean, Nico?"

Nico's face dropped. He was busted.

"I meant sick." he tried to cover up, but was too late. Hazel had tears escaping her eyes, her shoulders starting to shake with sobs.

"You have cancer and you didn't tell me?" she asked, her voice hurt. "I'm your sister! Do you not trust me?"

Without waiting for an answer, she ran from the bathroom and then his room, going into her own room and slamming the door. Immediately, his father came looking for him.

"What did you do?" he asked. "What did you say to her?"

"I slipped about the cancer." Nico explained, feeling terrible.

"You did what?" his father asked, suddenly angry.

"She was going to find out sooner or later!" Nico replied. "Don't get mad at me!"

"I told you not to tell her!" Hades yelled at him for the first time. "Do you not listen to me?"

"It's _my_ freaking stomach cancer!" Nico yelled. "I can tell who I want. If she's upset, so be it. I can't help it."

Hades shook his head at him. "What is _wrong_ with you? She's your sister. You're supposed to care about her. What happened to the sweet boy I used to know?"

Nico scowled at him. "Pain changes people. That sweet little boy got sick."

"Yeah, well I hope he comes back." Hades replied quietly before leaving to check on Hazel.

Nico felt terrible, he really did, but he was sick of being treated as sick or dying. He wanted to be treated like a normal teenage boy. But then there was what his father had said: 'What is _wrong_ with you?'

What _was_ wrong with him? How could he be so mean to his sister, who was never anything but supportive? She was always there for him, through the "exploratory" surgeries and the late night pains. She was there to hold to his hand through anything and everything.

And he let her down just like that.

What was wrong with him?

—

"Before we do anything, we have to stretch out!" Coach Rifer called out at their first practice. "Who wants to be the leader?"

"Me!" Will Solace cried out, raising his hand in the air. "Can I do it, Coach?"

"Yeah, alright, Solace." he agreed. "Get in the middle. Everyone form a circle around him."

They formed a circle around Will, who started to do different stretches, holding each stance for ten seconds. Everyone followed his example, but nobody was as excited as he was.

"Okay, now, two line drills, or sometimes you call them suicides." Coach Rifer said. "Whatever you call them, get to it."

Nico smiled, loving to run and the pain it started in his legs. When his legs hurt, he could forget about his stomach for the time being, if it wasn't too bad.

Nico finished before anyone else.

"Good job, di Angelo!" Coach yelled as he came to a stop. "You're our point guard this year, huh?"

"Yes, sir!" Nico called out, getting his breathing under control.

"Then do another one." he replied.

Nico smiled, before running to do another one, glad that Coach Rifer wasn't treating him like the boy with cancer, but who would be one of the main players of the game. At this rate, he would love practices and games more than anything else.

"What's my position?" a boy with curly hair and elf-like features asked when Nico finished his third line drill.

"I haven't decided yet." Coach Rifer didn't look up from his clipboard, writing something down. When he was finished, he looked back up at them. "You all know all the rules?"

"Yes, Coach." they all replied in union.

"Good, I don't have to take time to explain that." he put his clipboard down and faced the boys. "Alright, here are your positions. Nico di Angelo, you're point guard. We already established this because you were one of the best I've seen."

And in that moment, Nico found himself believing him.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9-

The first game Nico played on that team, he didn't doubt for one second that he was meant to be there. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was doing something right, and good. He amazed the coaches by shooting at the half court line over ten times in the game and many more times closer to the net. He also got it passed to the other players and they, too, scored a lot, and they ended up winning the game with a very high lead.

The first person Nico wanted to tell was Hazel, but they were still fighting. After that one night, Nico had tried to apologize to her, but couldn't find it in himself to do it. His pride was too controlling.

Nico missed his sister.

"Persephone, we won." Nico told her when he got home, the only one he lived with whom he was on talking terms with. "We killed the other team."

"That's great, kiddo." she replied. "It's a Saturday. Doing anything else today?"

"Probably just sleeping." Nico admitted. "I'm exhausted."

"Take a shower first." Persephone replied. "You stink."

"Yeah, okay." Nico climbed up the steps, passing Hazel in the process. Neither sibling looked at each other, and an air of tension passed between them. When Nico finally got to his room and closed the door, he sighed in relief.

"I'm so glad my bathroom connects to my room." he said to himself as he gathered pajamas. "I don't have to go back out there."

And that was how his days went. Coming home, going to his room, avoiding his family. He tried to think of ways to apologize, but everything was too embarrassing and made him cringe.

When he was in the shower, he tried to get his mind off the topic and turned some music on, taking his time and standing beneath the hot water. Usually, this calmed him down. But that day, he only seemed to feel physically worse the longer he stood there. His limbs began to shake and his heart rate intensified. A sharp pain made his way from his stomach to his chest, throbbing to his heart rate. When he tried to breathe, it came in short gasps. Something was wrong, but he couldn't find it in him to move from the shower.

When his vision started to turn black and the pain became unbearable, he sat in the shower and hung his head over the side. Something was wrong.

And then the blood hurtled from his mouth brutally, splattering everything in front of him in red. But the red was dark, really dark.

Nico could barely think anymore, the pain overpowering him. As if in slow motion, Nico moved his head to his hands, which were clenching his thighs so hard they drew blood. But he didn't seem to feel it, his stomach taking over everything.

"Dad…" he called out weakly. Was this it? Was he dying after all? No, he couldn't die like this. He couldn't die fighting with his family. He couldn't. He needed help. "Dad…"

He coughed up another spray of blood, thinking again about how dark it was. Blood wasn't supposed to be that dark, or was it just his vision? Why was it getting so dark all of a sudden? And so warm?

"Da-" he couldn't even finish due to his coughing. It shook his body like a rag doll, creating a pain in is head that seemed minor to his stomach but still bad.

Still, nobody came.

"I…don't…want to die…like this…" Nico whispered to himself. "I don't…want to die…just yet…"

He was so tired and in so much pain….all he wanted to do was close his eyes and go to bed. But he knew he might not reopen them.

But as the minutes dragged on, he was tempted to close his eyes. His blinks became heavier, his pain more evident in his mind. Just one nap…one small nap….

He closed his eyes.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10-

After the shower was running for an hour, Persephone only thought that Nico was just taking a slow shower. But then one hour turned to two, and she knew something was wrong.

"Hades, that boy has been in the shower for two hours." she told him. "Shouldn't you go check on him?"

"He's fine." Hades answered. "If you want to check on him, go ahead. But I'm not."

Persephone sighed. "I'll give him some more time before I do."

And then two hours turned to three.

"I'm going up there." she stated. When she got to his bedroom, she knocked gently, but to no answer. Opening the door, she saw that he wasn't in there and the bathroom down was also shut.

"Nico, you used all the hot water hours ago." she called, knocking on the bathroom door.

No answer.

"Nico?" she asked again, starting to become worried. "You can't be in the shower that long. Our water bill will go up."

"Please come out, Nico. Or at least answer me." she tried again. "Answer me and we can go and get you another record, or a CD. Any one you want."

Giving up, she tried the handle, surprised to find it unlocked. When she opened the door, the first thing she saw was the blood, splattered crossed the small bathroom.

"Nico….?" she asked wearily, and then she saw him. "HADES!"

She ran to the boy's side, turning the water off and wrapping a towel around him before pulling him out, laying him on the floor. His body was ice cold from the freezing water and drenched. She put her hand on his neck, feeling his pulse, seeing that it was really weak.

Her husband walked in the door. "What's wr-"

When he saw his son and the blood that surrounded him like a murder scene, he immediately knelt beside him.

"Persephone, call an ambulance!" he told her, bringing Nico's head in his lap. "Nico, wake up for me. Can you open your eyes?"

He didn't stir.

"They're on their way." Persephone told him as she reentered the room. "Any luck?"

Hades shook his head. "He's not responding to anything. How could his stomach do this?"

"His cancer could have spread." Persephone stated quietly. "We have no idea. It could be something else entirely."

"He doesn't need anything else wrong with him." Hades replied. "He's already going through enough as it is."

"I'm going to go open the door for them." Persephone exited the room, leaving them alone.

"You need to wake up, Nico." Hades whispered to him. "You can't die, now. You can't. I love you, buddy."

Nico's eyelids fluttered, but didn't open.

Hades could hear the paramedics come in and make their way up the stairs, following Persephone to where Nico was. When they saw him, they immediately put him on a stretcher and felt for his heart rate.

"How long has he been like this?" one asked Hades, counting Nico's heartbeats while holding his wrist.

"We don't know." Hades replied truthfully. "After he had been in the shower for three hours, we came to check on him, and he was unconscious."

"He hasn't woken up since?"

"No, not at all." Hades answered.

"Okay, we're going to take him to the hospital crossed from the factory." the same man said. "You and your wife can follow behind."

When they got to the hospital, they immediately took Nico back and began to run tests on him. Since one of his doctors were already there, they didn't have to waste time and explain about his cancer.

"We think the cancer might have spread." Dr. Walker updated them in the waiting room. "We don't really know for sure where, but we're trying our best to figure out. When I know more, I'll come tell you."

"Thank you," Hades answered, still too worried to do anything else.

"He'll be okay." Persephone held his hands in hers, trying to comfort him as much as possible. "Nico's strong."

"We knew he was dying, and we still ended up fighting with each other." Hades growled to himself. "I can't have him die hating me."

"He doesn't hate you." Persephone replied. "You're his father, and he loves you."

"But does he know I love him?" Hades asked. "Look, I have to call Hazel. She went over to a friend's, and she would want to know what's happening."

"I'll just go get her." Persephone stood up. "That way you don't have to worry her too much. Which friend's?"

"Piper McLean." Hades answered. "Thank you, Persephone."

She smiled at him, reliving any tension left between them. "Your welcome, love."

After she had gone, Hades was left alone with his thoughts. Worry filled every inch of his body, causing him to almost feel sick. What dawned on him the most was that by the end of the day, his only son might be very well dead.

"I told Piper and her mother that there is something wrong with Hazel's grandmother." Persephone explained when she came back with Hazel. "You know how Nico doesn't want anybody to know."

"What's wrong with him?" Hazel asked, sitting beside her father. "What happened?"

Hades sighed and rubbed the top of Hazel's head. "You know how he has stomach cancer. They think….they think it spread to somewhere else. That's all they told me."

"They haven't come back out, yet?" Persephone asked, also sitting down. "I was gone for at least thirty minutes."

"They're defiantly taking their time." Hades muttered.

"Dad….?" Hazel asked after ten minutes of silence, her face gray with worry. "Do you think that Nico's going to die? Please don't lie to me. I can take it."

Hades looked at her, knowing that chances were she would be his only child by the next day. Through that look, she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"No, no…" Hazel started to cry, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Dad, he can't die."

Hades pulled her to him, hugging her while she cried. Having nothing to say, he didn't say anything at all. He just held her as she shook with sobs, acting as if Nico had already died.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11-

The doctor finally came to update them hours later, when Hazel had fallen asleep on her father's shoulder and Persephone had taken to reading all the magazines in the room.

"How is he?" Hades asked, not giving the doctor time to speak.

"He's stable." Dr. Walker replied, causing sighs of relief. "But he's still in the ICU. We're waiting for the test results and blood work, but we think it may have spread to his blood stream."

"What would that mean?" Persephone asked.

"It's hard to say, especially because we don't know how far it spread or how bad it's gotten." Dr. Walker replied. "Would you like to see him?"

"Yes, please." Hades answered, waking up Hazel. "Is he awake?"

"No, not yet." he looked like he was hiding something from them. "But you can still see him. Follow me."

They followed him through the web of corridors until they came into the ICU, going up to Nico's bed.

Nico was paler than usual, having coughed up too much blood. Tubes and wires hooked him up to different machines around him, one even helping him breathe. When Hades placed his hand on Nico's, it was still ice cold. The monitor next to him beeped regularly, but the nurses said it was because of the tube down his throat, helping him breathe.

"If you think it's in his bloodstream, why can't he breathe?" Hazel asked.

The doctor looked worried. "There's still a lot we don't know, and we're trying to figure it out. When I have the real answers, I'll let you know."

"The real answers?" Hades asked him, his voice dangerous. "This is my son, doctor. I don't have the patience for any games."

"I assure you, sir, there will be no games." Dr. Walker replied hurriedly. "Let me go see how those test results are coming."

"Thank you, doctor." Hades answered coldly as he left the room.

"What do you think that was about?" Persephone asked quietly, stroking her son-in-law's hair.

Hades shook his head. "I can only think that it's worse than they're letting on."

A movement caught Hades' eye, making him look down at his son to see that he was slowly opening his eyes. Immediately, they came clouded with pain.

"Nico, I'm right here." Hades told him firmly, holding onto his hand. "It's going to be okay, I'm right here, and I'm not leaving."

Nico tried to speak, but noticed for the first time the tube down his throat. His grip on his dad's hand tightened, absolutely terrified of what was going on.

"You're at the hospital, Nico." Hades explained. "They're going to take care of you."

Nico nodded, his eyes barely staying open. He looked so tired, and in so much pain…something else was wrong then it "spreading to his bloodstream". You could tell by looking at him.

"You can go back to sleep if you want." Hades told him, stroking his arm in comfort. "It's okay to go back to sleep."

Nico nodded again, this time more slowly, before re-closing his eyes. Once again, he was deeply asleep.

"He's peaceful when he's asleep." Hades explained. "It's better for him to be asleep. He was in too much pain."

"Do you think he'll wake up?" Hazel asked seriously. Hades nor Persephone answered, scared of the real answer.

And then his monitor went off.

The doctors and nurses came streaming in the room, pushing them out of the way. They began to do compressions on his chest before using the paddles, trying to get his heart started again.

Hazel felt like she was dreaming when Nico's heart started to beat normally.

"We're going to take him for CT." Dr. Walker approached them again. "Would you like me to escort you back to the waiting room?"

Hades grit his teeth, getting angry with the doctor, but followed him anyways, so they could find out what was wrong with Nico. As soon as they were in the waiting room, however, he realized it would probably be another couple hours until they heard anything.

He wished they would have went to another hospital.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12-

By the time the doctor came back, it was dark outside and they had already eaten from the cafeteria.

"Did you find out what's wrong?" Hades asked. "What did the tests say?"

"The CT revealed a…mass…in his brain." the doctor said carefully.

"W-What does that mean?" Persephone asked quietly, since Hazel was asleep with her head in her lap. "A tumor?"

"I'm afraid so." Dr. Walker said, sounding sincere for the first time that day. "The cancer spread to his brain, and we need to get the tumor out as soon as possible."

"Is it operable?" Hades asked. "You can get it out?"

"Yes, we can operate." Dr. Walker replied. "But the surgery is very risky. The survival rate is 30%."

"What if he didn't have the surgery?" Hades asked. "How long would he have, then?"

"Maybe a week." he guessed. "Not long at all. The decision is up to you, but if it's going to happen, it's got to happen soon."

"Why was he coughing up blood if it's in his brain?" Hades asked, trying to understand it.

"The cancer…also spread to some other places." Dr. Walker admitted. "But the main threat here is in the brain."

"What other places?" Hades asked. "I want to know everything that's going on."

"It seems it spread to his lungs and throat, too." Dr. Walker told him. "We have him on oxygen, but that won't do much with the tumor in his brain."

"Fine," Hades answered. "Do the surgery."

"A nurse will bring out the forms." he walked away hurriedly, leaving them alone again.

"Why do you think it spread?" Persephone asked. "Hades, stomach cancer just doesn't go into the lungs that easily."

"It could be all that second-hand smoke he was inhaling.." Hades replied. "He always kept his window open no matter what was going on outside. I'll ask when this surgery is over and done with. You can take Hazel home, if you want and get some sleep. I'll call you when I get an update."

"Are you sure?" Persephone asked. "It get's rather lonely here, and if they come out and tell you…I don't want you to be alone for that."

Hades looked at her sadly. "Persephone, I think I can except it at this point. Everything's that's been going on…I'm ready."

Persephone nodded. "Alright, I'll see you in the morning, alright? I'll bring you some breakfast, love."

She kissed his forehead before waking Hazel and leaving with her, back to their house.

Hades was alone with his thoughts until the doctor came back hours later, looking exhausted but relived.

"Is he alive?" Hades asked hurriedly.

Dr. Walker smiled. "Yes, he is. He isn't awake yet, but you can see him if you like."

"Yes, please." Hades sighed in relief, almost crying. His son was alive, not dead like he thought he was going to be.

Hades didn't call Persephone yet, wanting some time alone with his son. They had been fighting with each other, and than Nico almost died. Just in case it happened again, Hades had to apologize.

When he stepped into the hospital room, his breath intaked sharply at the sight of his son. Very pale and small, Nico lay there under the hospital blanket, completely still even though the room was freezing. His arms were hooked up to tubes and wires, and a tube coming out of his throat hooked up to another machine. His head was wrapped up, but that hadn't had to cut off his hair.

"Hey, Nico…" Hades whispered, sitting in the chair next to him. "You really scared me back there."

The doctor checked one of the machines before leaving them alone.

"The doctors are whacko's here." Hades told him, chuckling a little. "But they did save your life, so there's that."

Hades sighed and ran his fingers through Nico's hair, avoiding the bandages. "You always were a trouble maker."

Nico's eyes started to open then, taking a second before they were focused on Hades' face.

Nico tried to talk, but the tube in his throat stopped his from doing anything.

"Hey, don't try and talk." Hades warned softly. "Just relax. You're alright."

Nico looked at him with painful eyes, gesturing to his head.

"I know, it's going to hurt for awhile." Hades replied. "But this is the fight, Nico."

Nico's eyes swam with tears, the pain getting more intense as he woke up even more.

"I'll go get a doctor, ask him if you can have any medicine for it." Hades told him before leaving the room. Before he got out of the door, however, Nico's monitors started to go off.

Hades ran back in the room with the doctors that followed. They pushed him out of the way as they tried to get his heart to start beating again. When they did, Hades was close to having a meltdown.

The rest of the night wasn't any better.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13-

Persephone and Hazel came down in the morning, and it was as if their fight never happened. They talked to Nico as if they never stopped, Hazel updating him on school and Hades talking about their great aunt who just had a baby. Nico couldn't talk back, however, but he wrote things down if he wanted to say something.

They wanted to start chemo and radiation for his lungs, but Nico protested immediately, even though he was having trouble breathing. He wrote down that he didn't want to be bald and weak, especially because he was playing basketball, but Hades really didn't find that as a reason to not live a little longer.

Nico wrote down that it was his life and his body, and that he was going to die anyways.

This was the only thing that kept them from doing the chemo.

Nico also got a new doctor that day, and Hades liked him a lot, especially because he actually knew what he was doing. His name was Dr. Solace, and Nico got the sinking suspicion that it was Will's father.

He couldn't let him tell Will that he had cancer. It would ruin any chance he had with the blond haired boy.

Did he really just think that?

When he got out of the hospital, he missed a whole week of school, but he blamed it on the flu. Will acted like he didn't know, and Nico really believed he didn't. But the worry that he did was still there, making Nico even more jumpy around the boy.

Will invited him to sit with his friends that day at lunch, and Nico excepted. Nico didn't know why he did, but part of him just wanted to make Will happy. He wanted to be by him and see him laugh and smile.

Nico hated how he felt.

"This is Jason Grace, head of the football team." Will was introducing him to his friends. "And this Piper McLean, his girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you." Nico shook their hands, realizing that he was talking to some of the most popular people at the school. Suddenly, his anxiety started to spike.

"That was a pretty good game last Saturday." Jason congratulated him. "You're a great point guard."

"Thanks," Nico excepted the compliment. "You're not too bad yourself at football."

"Eh, I try." Jason shrugged before looking down at his watch. "We better go or we're going to be late."

Going to his next class, all Nico could think about was how nice Jason had acted towards him, and he wasn't nervous anymore. Then, another thought came to his mind.

Was he one of the populars now?

He really, really hoped not. He couldn't get like that and then die. He would rather disappear, die without anyone knowing. Now, everyone would know him because of the stupid basketball.

At least now he could live before he died.

He had to bring his inhaler to basketball practice that night, blaming it on still recovering. The couch knew, however, so he wasn't questioned that much. They warmed up like usual and then discussed the team they were playing next week, since they were supposed to be very hard to play against.

Nico couldn't wait for the challenge.

School went by like normal that week, but Nico could almost feel the eyes on him. He was seen hanging around Jason, and eventually, he was tagged as Jason's friend, as he was told.

So he was one of the populars, after all.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14-

As the weeks went on, it was getting harder for Nico to breathe but easier for him to be happy. He knew he was popular, now, and found himself acting like it. Soon, everyone knew his name.

Those were the only days he wished he wasn't dying.

He hung out with Will Solace so much that it soon became as natural as breathing. The others on the team, too, took on the roles as his best friends. He was, really, truly, happy.

Nico ran into his social studies class, late because of his doctor's appointment. He had an herbal juice in his hand, but the teacher knew it helped him and didn't make him throw it away.

"Just in time, Mr. di Angelo." Mrs. Dare told him when he entered the room, all eyes on him. "We were just paring people up. You're with Percy Jackson and Grover Underwood."

Nico inwardly groaned, not wanting to be with the two biggest nerds in the school. He knew this was mean, but those two were just…weird. He didn't know how else to describe it.

Nico sat down next to them, much to the amusement of Jason Grace, who was also in the class. Nico flipped him off before turning to the two boys. "What are we doing?'

"Making a timeline about the ancient Greek emperors." Percy replied stiffly, showing his dislike for Nico. "We've already got half it done."

"Mrs. Dare said we just picked partners." Nico scoffed. "There's no way you got half of it done."

Percy held it up to show him, smirking at how Nico was wrong. "Don't worry, you don't have to do anything, like normal."

"Oh, shut up, Seaweed Brain." Nico used the nickname Jason had come up with the week before. Everyone was looking at them, then, and Grover seemed to realize it, too.

"Come on, Percy, stop." Grover pleaded with his friend. "Let's just get the project over with."

"No, I want to hear what other nicknames his click came up with for us." Percy retorted. "So, Clogged Lungs, what else did you come up with for us?"

Nico's ears turned pink, having not realized that they noticed his inhaler.

"That's enough." Mrs. Dare said from the front of the classroom, eyes boring into theirs. She looked at Nico with sympathy, the only one in the room to know that he had lung cancer.

Percy noticed the look. "So now you're a teacher's pet, huh?"

Nico could feel himself get defensive ever since Percy had mentioned his lungs. "Your step father is a freaking teacher, I don't want to here it."

"Boys! What did I say?" Mrs. Dare was in front of them. "Knock it off!"

"At least I have two parents." Percy muttered, but everybody heard it.

Nico lunged forward, knocking one of the desks down. Jason and another boy had to restrain him while Mrs. Dare called for help and herded Percy out of the way.

Nico was angrier than he had ever been. How had Jackson even known about his mother's death?

The male teacher that was closest ran into the room, saw the situation, and went to help hold Nico back, since he was close to breaking away from the two boys.

"I'll kill you!" Nico screamed at Percy as students in the halls started to gather around the scene, feeling his control slipping. Nobody mentioned his mother, _nobody_ …After knowing all the pain she must of went through with the cancer he now had… _nobody_ insulted her.

"Nico, calm down." Mr. Betts, the gym teacher, did his best to hold him down. He, too, knew about his cancer and didn't want to reopen a surgery site.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" more kids started to gather in the doorway since the bell had rung, signaling the end of class. This only caused more teachers, however, to show up.

"Come on," Grover was trying to drag Percy away from the scene, but the other boy stood there, smirking at how mad he had gotten him. Ever since he was young, Percy had been bullied by that group. Now, he could get back at one of them.

Nico broke free unexpectedly, tackling Percy in an instant. On the ground, the two boys wrestled and punched. Nico was fueled by anger, while Percy was fueled by the joy of being alive.

Nico was roughly pulled off of Percy as Mr. Blofis came and dragged Percy out of the situation, getting him out of the room. Nico was left breathing heavily on the floor, cursing himself as he felt the blood on his stomach as one of his surgery scars opened.

Everyone was taken away then, having to go to class. Soon, it was just Nico laying on the floor, his anger disappearing, and Mrs. Dare, looking disappointingly at him.

"Here," she handed him his inhaler, which had dropped from his pocket. "You might need this."

Unable to move from exhaustion, he didn't take it, and only then did she realize the blood that pooled around him.

"One of your wounds opened?!" she asked, panicking. "I'm going to go get somebody, I'll be right back."

That was how Nico found himself grounded for the rest of the week.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15-

Nico excepted he was gay, but didn't know how to tell anyone. Yeah, he knew his father wouldn't judge him, but the people at his school? He wasn't sure. But then there was Will Solace, the boy Nico was uncontrollably falling in love with.

And he was falling hard.

That day at basketball practice, he never thought he was going to come out. It just sort of…happened. His mind was too preoccupied.

"Di Angelo, throw the ball straight!" his coach yelled after Nico had missed the net by a couple feet.

"How am I supposed to keep the ball straight if I can't even keep myself straight?" Nico asked, not fully realizing what he said until the whole gym went silent. His ears turned pink, but he kept his face emotionless as he picked up the ball.

His coach shook his head in exasperation. "Just throw the freaking ball, di Angelo. Everybody else here can make that basket."

"Coach!" Will raised his hand. "I think I'm having trouble keeping myself straight, too."

Everyone went silent again, but Nico smiled at Will, never loving him as much as he did in that moment.

The next day at school, Will asked him on a date, which Nico happily excepted. In that moment, his life was perfect.

"What did I hear about a date?" Hazel poked him in the ribs when he got home from school. "Come on, lover boy, tell me."

"You didn't hear anything." Nico swatted her away and continued to watch the movie he had put in.

"Did I just hear the word date?" Persephone was in the room in an instant. "Nico, who's the lucky girl?"

"Not a girl." Nico turned the TV off and went up the steps, ignoring their questions and Hazel's continuous laughter.

Later that night, Hades came into his room.

"Persephone told me what you said." he sat on the end of his bed. "Mind telling me about this boy?"

Nico sighed, looking at his father. "If you promise not to make fun of me."

"I promise." Hades let out his pinky, which Nico linked in his. "You can tell me."

Nico sat up, excited. "Okay, so his name's Will Solace, and he's got blond hair and blue eyes that look like waterfalls. His dad's a doctor, and he really wants to be one when he grows up. He plays basketball with me and is a really good forward. When he laughs, he gets these little dimples, and when he's nervous he picks at this scar under his chin that he got from falling off a bar stool when he was seven. He already sent an application into Harvard and knows almost everything. He-"

"Okay, okay." Hades cut him off, laughing. "You obviously love the boy."

Nico's face turned red. "I do not!"

They both could tell he was lying.

"Does he know about, you know…?" Hades asked, becoming serious again.

Nico shook his head. "Not that I know of."

"Are you going to tell him?" Hades asked. "If he falls for you back-"

"I know," Nico's eyes gazed into his.

"I'm just saying, you have to be careful. You don't want to break his heart." Hades patted his arm. "Now, get some sleep. When's the date?"

"Saturday." Nico watched as he started to leave. "Oh, and dad?"

"Yeah?" Hades turned around at the doorway. "What is it?"

"Thank you for understanding." Nico replied.

Hades smiled. "What's there to understand? You love somebody, that's it. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Nico watched him close the door before turning on his side. Throughout the night, he laid there, unable to sleep because of the certain blond that controlled his thoughts.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16-

After their game Saturday, Nico went home immediately to get ready, Will doing the same thing.

Once Nico had gotten changed into some better clothes, he had his dad drive him to the movie theater, where Will was already waiting, dressed in a yellow shirt and jeans, his basketball shoes still on. Nico, on the other hand, was dressed his all black with converse on his feet.

"Hey, Will." Nico smiled nervously at his best friend. "What are we seeing?"

"Only the best movie there is!" Will's face brightened as he took Nico's hand and pulled him into the cinema, not at all awkward around him. "Star Wars!"

"You're serious?" Nico asked, his voice monotone. "What is so great about that movie, anyways?"

Will faked hurt, like Nico had stabbed him in the chest. "You, sir…have you even seen the movies?!"

Nico snorted. "No,"

Will sighed in relief. "That's why. Once you see it, you'll love it. Want some popcorn?"

"No thanks," Nico declined politely. "I'm allergic."

Will looked at him strangely. "How come I've never known that?"

Nico shrugged. "You've never asked."

"Yeah, I guess. Do you at least want a pop? I'm buying." Will led him to the refreshments, not even waiting for an answer.

Nico, not wanting to turn down something else, let Will get a pop for him and then a popcorn for himself. As they made their way into the where they would actually watch the movie, Nico's face burned in embarrassment. It was 2016, for Christ's sake! Why was everybody acting so offended by them?

"Hey, ignore them." Will sat down, unfazed by the stares they were getting. "They're just jealous. I mean, everybody wants my glorious hair."

Nico laughed at Will's joke, his embarrassment fading away. He loved Will Solace, he really did, and there was no denying it. And in that moment, he couldn't have picked anybody better to fall for.

"Oh, it's starting." Will was getting popcorn everywhere, the butter making his hands sticky, but Nico grabbed one anyways. Will looked at him, surprised, not used to him making the first move, but smiled, nevertheless.

As the movie went on, Nico found himself laying his head on Will's shoulder, enjoying the peace they were in. In that moment, Nico didn't have cancer, he didn't smoke, and his mother and sister weren't dead. In that moment, everything was perfect.

Too bad it had to end, the credits of the movie scrolling almost mockingly at what it meant to Nico. He would have to say goodbye for the night, and that seemed to be the worst thing ever.

But he knew one day he would have to say goodbye forever.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17-

When they got to school on Monday, the thing that surprised Nico the most was that nobody made fun of them. Well, he could see Percy and Grover laughing with their small group of friends, but they didn't bother him very much.

Science class was his favorite time of the day, because they had changed seats and now Nico sat right next to Will. The whole period, they chatted about anything and everything, and as no one has done before, Nico distracted him from learning about the body. But Will was great at doctoring, though, so he didn't feel bad. Actually, he felt great. He was on this high that even his cigarettes couldn't beat. He felt like he was on five drugs at once, basking in the glory of it all.

In reality, however, he was just a boy in love.

When they got to lunch, they sat with their friends like normal, and everything seemed like it always was.

Except for Percy Jackson, who continued to glare at them throughout the period.

"What is his problem?" Jason asked, exasperated. They had all stopped eating to look at Percy, whom didn't even seem fazed by their looks. Instead, he kept his eyes locked on them, as if he was in a trance.

"Maybe he has a crush on Nico." Leo Valdez joked, earning the whole table to burst out laughing when Will laid a protecting arm around Nico's shoulders.

"Don't worry Will, that's never going to happen." Nico leaned into his touch.

"Get a room!" Jason threw one of his fries at them, causing more laughter to imitate from their table.

Even as they went on to ignore him, Percy continued to stare at them with a blank expression on his face.

After lunch, Nico went to his next class, where, coincidentally, Percy Jackson sat right beside him.

As soon as Nico sat down, Percy threw a paper on his desk.

Having nothing better to do since he hated math, Nico picked the paper up an read it, which created nervous shivers to run down his spine.

 _'I know about your cancer.'_

Nico's breathing became faster and he started to panic, the bile starting to rise in his throat. Percy knew. Percy knew.

Percy freaking Jackson knew about his cancer.

 _'How did you find out?'_ Nico scribbled hastily before throwing it back to him.

 _'Paul told me today, since he was afraid we were going to get into another fight.'_

Nico read the note in disgust, knowing he wouldn't be able to trust that teacher anymore.

 _'Just keep your trap shut.'_ he wrote back, glaring as he gave it to the other boy.

 _'I was planning to.'_ Percy responded. _'I'm not that cruel. But why don't you tell anybody?'_

 _'None of your business.'_ Nico answered. _'Please, just promise to keep it to yourself.'_

 _'I already told you, I promise.'_ Percy responded. _'I won't even tell Grover.'_

Nico really didn't know if he could trust him, but nodded anyway, not able to do anything else. Half way through the lesson, however, he had to run out and to the bathroom before puking blood into the toilet from sheer nervousness.

Percy knew.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18-

"Do you want to talk about it?" Percy was beside Nico as he was walking to his car, making him stop in his tracks to glare at the other boy.

"No, I don't want to talk about it, and I would prefer if you would leave me alone." Nico said stiffly. Before he could leave, however, Percy kept talking.

"Is that why you don't eat?" Percy asked. "Paul said it's in your stomach, too."

"What don't you get about leaving me alone?" Nico asked harshly, not answering his question. "Please go away."

"Okay, fine." Percy looked disappointed. "But if you want to talk to me, I'm here."

"When pigs are flying." Nico muttered as he walked away, leaving Percy to stare after his retreating form.

Nico was so angry, his breathing coming in short gasps. What in Paul Blofis possessed him to tell that boy? Did he really think it would help their relationship? Ha, like that would happen. If anything, it made Nico hate the green eyed boy more.

"Hey, Nico, what did he want?" Will asked, walking with him.

Nico looked over at him, relishing in that second when he could see Will in all his beauty. His blond hair was swept back, out of his eyes, which were bluer when the sun shone on them. Clearly, Nico could see his love reflected in them. "He wanted to be on the basketball team. I said no."

Will laughed out loud. "Jackson playing basketball? I would pay to see that."

"Exactly." Nico felt bad for lying, but couldn't tell him the real reason. They got to his dad's car. "I've got to go, my dad's waiting."

"Okay, see you later." Will glanced at his lips quickly before walking away, leaving Nico with the impression that Will wanted to kiss him.

"Was that him?" Hades asked as soon as Nico sat in the passenger seat.

"Yeah, it was." Nico replied. "Please, don't embarrass me."

"What makes you think I'd do that?" Hades laughed, starting the car. "Anyways, let's get out of here. You have an appointment before practice."

"At the hospital?" Nico asked, putting his seat belt on.

Hades nodded, not taking his eyes off the road. "Have you told Will yet?"

"No, dad!" Nico cried out, exasperated. "I'm not going to tell him!"

"Nico, I may not have dated men, but I have dated more than you. He would rather here from you then find out when you're in the emergency room, half dead." Hades scolded.

Nico crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not telling him, unless it gets really bad again."

Hades looked over at him. "Nico,…please don't make me say this…it is bad. What this cancer had advanced to…it is bad."

"You're telling me I'm dying, and I already know that." Nico responded. "You don't have to remind me."

"It seems like I do." Hades argued.

"I know I'm dying!" Nico yelled, losing his temper. "Why do you think I'm trying to live my life as happiest as I can?"

Hades was silent, continuing to drive without looking at his son.

He knew he was wrong.

When they got there, they went back immediately before starting the tests that turned into his checkup. They did blood work, a CT, and an ultrasound of his stomach, to make sure there were no more tumors.

The ultrasound was normal, but they would have to wait for the others to come back.

When the blood work finally came back, it was normal, for him.

And then they got the CT back of his lungs.

Over the past weeks, Nico could feel himself smoking less, but never really realized it, until they got the CT back, saying nothing had changed.

Nico thought his lungs would be the worst off out of all of it.

After they got out of there, they stopped home quickly so Nico could change, and then they went back to his school for his practice.

Nico was only a few minutes late, getting there when they were almost done stretching. Will didn't question him, but made a spot for him in the circle.

But when they were starting the line drills, Will's eyes caught on the hospital bracelet that Nico had forgotten to take off. "Why were you in the hospital?"

Nico's mind went into overdrive, basketball completely forgotten as he tried to think of a lie. "I was getting my blood work done, since my great aunt needs a transplant, and I might be the only match."

Nico thought his lying was horrible, but Will, as gullible as ever, seemed to buy it.

That seemed to turn into the many times Nico almost got caught.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19-

Nico didn't want Will to find out the way he did. Hades had been right, after all.

The months had gone by, and they were in the championship. The day of their last game, Nico had been feeling the worst he had in awhile, but still forced himself to go. He wouldn't miss this for the world. Well, maybe for Will Solace, but for nothing else.

The pains started in the car ride there, shooting from his stomach to his chest, down his arms and legs. Pins and needles engulfed him, so he took a few strides of his Gatorade and prayed the pain away. He never thought it would turn out as it did.

The first quarter seemed to be an eternity, running almost impossible. His legs refused to work properly, and his hands could barely hold on to the ball.

But he still shot it, still made it. He was stronger than his cancer, and that was the only thought that kept him going.

Nico's vision started to blur at the end of the first quarter, going into the second. His mind played tricks on him, but he got the job done. He knew Will was on the bench at one point, but his eyes showed him running by him, smile stretching crossed his face and eyes the color of the sky.

Only when Nico made a move to pass it to him did he fully realize that he wasn't there.

The third quarter, they were winning by a landslide, and seemed to have the game in the bag.

Until Nico literally could not move his feet forward, and his hands felt like they were glued to the ball. He stood there, unable to even turn his head, while the other team took the ball right out of his hands.

Still, he stood there.

"Nico, come on!" his coach yelled, but it seemed as if it were underwater.

And then, as if in slow motion, Nico could feel his body start to fall, as if you cut a tree down and the way it fell seemed to last forever but for seconds at the same time. In that way, he fell.

And when he hit the floor, not feeling it but hearing the thud his body made, his vision finally went out for good.

He could hear the people around him, feel them next to him, calling his name. But all he saw, however, was the smiling face of William Solace, forever imprinted in his mind. His honey blond hair, his clear blue eyes. The dimples that were imprinted in his cheeks, and the scar that barely showed on his chin. Nico could see him, a graduation gown on, holding his acceptance letter to Harvard.

And then the image turned into a new one, and Nico could see Will again, wearing another graduation gown. But this time, he was smiling beyond words, his proud father standing next to him. In the background, a banner read 'Congrats, Harvard graduates!' Nico couldn't have been happier for him.

But why was Nico seeing all of this now?

The image replaced itself again, this time Nico saw Will, older but just as handsome, smiling down at a baby in his arms. A girl stood next to him, kissing him on the lips and also peering down at the newborn. Nico loved to see Will happy, but this picture…why wasn't Will with him?

Nico knew his mind was showing him thoughts of his, but it still made him horribly sad to look at the image. When he thought of his future, he thought of William Solace, but not with another person. He thought of Will standing next to him, proposing.

The next image scared Nico more than anything.

There was Will, a little girl's hand in his, kneeling down beside a gravestone. He placed flowers on it, the tears escaping his eyes.

Nico's name was on the tombstone.

Will's voice broke through, saying it would all be okay. The images broke up, but Nico still didn't wake up. He didn't worry, however, as he listened to the sweet sound of his love's voice. 


	21. Chapter 20

_**AN: This is the last chapter! Thank you all sooo much for the reviews, I love you all! I am so glad you all loved this story, but it's time for it to end. ~Peyton**_

Chapter 20-

Will looked down at the letter in his hands, his smile happy for the first time in years. Harvard had accepted him; they wanted him there. Will ran for his phone, needing to tell someone.

But his fingers froze before they hit the screen, and the sadness weighed down on him again. Scrolling through his contacts, he went to find one of his best friends from high school, Percy Jackson. He hadn't called his in a year, so it took awhile to find his number.

The number underneath Percy's was Nico di Angelo.

Will took a shaky breath, and instead of dialing Percy's number, he clicked on Nico's contact, leaving a message.

"Hey, Neeks…it's been six years since you died. I never got to kiss you when you were alive, but I kissed your body before they buried you. I miss our talks, miss our laughs…I loved you, buddy, and I know you loved me. I've kept in contact with your family, and your new baby sister. You would adore her. I wanted to tell you I got into Harvard, just like you always said I would. I have to move, but that's okay. I'm going to do great things with my life, I promise. And Nico, I'm going to be the one that finds the cure for cancer. Love you, bye."


End file.
